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FE 20a
7:11:29 PM Rook: Soooooo. When last we left, you guys were going... somewhere. 7:11:51 PM Ander: ((To Moss's...for a hand exorcism)) 7:11:58 PM Ander: ((...I think his hame was Moss)) 7:12:31 PM Rook: That is the name, of a mage, yes. 7:12:56 PM *** Ander will go there, then, if no one objects. *** 7:13:26 PM *** Kite will go with her. *** 7:15:28 PM *** Vashti follows along, as well. *** 7:15:54 PM *** Daneel will also follow along. *** 7:16:50 PM Rook: So! Moss is, predictably, apparently located in the Arbor Ward - a part of the city that sprung up around the Arboretum at its center. 7:19:15 PM *** Ander goes there, then. *** 7:19:23 PM *** Kite sticks with them! *** 7:20:30 PM Rook: The area is very nice -- very woodsy. Like, you go through the wall separating the Wards, and suddenly you're in a forest. There are no trams here, and all the paths are carefully laid cobblestones lit by dim lanterns. 7:21:06 PM Ander: "...well...this is...different." 7:21:19 PM Kite: It is very... organic. 7:21:44 PM Vashti: Huh. A bit soothing, actually. 7:22:35 PM Ander: "I didn't know the city had places like this." 7:24:07 PM Rook: The Arbor Ward is home to many orchards as well, and wineries. Back in the day, most of the city's food came from here. 7:24:34 PM *** Ander heads to the address the Countess gave him. *** 7:25:35 PM Rook: Finding an address here is an adventure on its own, apparently. You end up having to be pointed in the right direction by one of the Song Watchers, who, in this district, are outfitted more like Rangers than Paladins. 7:27:09 PM *** Ander heads that way. *** 7:27:41 PM Kite: I have had to pick up items in this area before. It is extremely easy to get lost. 7:28:01 PM Vashti: I am not all that surprised. 7:28:17 PM | Edited 7:28:43 PM Ander: "I can see how. How do you guys find your way without mountains?" 7:29:12 PM Kite: Often we ask directions. 7:30:04 PM Rook: You head deep into the center of the wooded region, and walk for a long while. It's actually rather lovely. Occasionally you pass by little glades filled with houses, all of which are wooden cabins, or treehouses, or that sort of thing. 7:30:42 PM Ander: "This is actually kinda nice." 7:31:22 PM Rook: Most of the population here are Halfling, or elven-blooded, or genasi. 7:33:30 PM Rook: Eventually, you find a wooden sign with the appropriate number, in front of an old, huge tree in whose roots there's a cave leading down into the ground. 7:34:17 PM Kite: ... this is a tree. 7:34:39 PM Ander: "So it is. Varia makes weird friends." 7:35:12 PM *** Ander goes and knocks on the...tree. *** 7:35:32 PM *** Ander calls down the cave hole "...Hello?!?" *** 7:36:32 PM Ander: "...it seems rude to just go in." 7:37:05 PM Daneel: And potentially dangerous with magic involved. 7:37:30 PM Ander: "Also a good point." 7:38:58 PM Rook: There's a bell on the outside, with a little string to pull. 7:39:04 PM *** Kite pulls it. *** 7:39:32 PM Rook: It rings, and you think you hear an echoing ring from inside. Then you hear a gravelly voice. "Come in!" 7:39:42 PM *** Ander blushes. "Totally knew that was there." *** 7:39:47 PM *** Ander enters. *** 7:41:40 PM *** Daneel follows ander. *** 7:42:30 PM *** Vashti also follows. *** 7:42:33 PM Rook: You go down a narrow, damp, earthy passage! 7:43:58 PM Ander: "Small, very small. It's a small, dark place. I was not built for small places." 7:44:27 PM Kite: It is somewhat... strait. 7:45:20 PM Rook: It's not that small, really. Just narrow. 7:46:45 PM Rook: And eventually it opens up into a sitting room, a cozy little one with a fire burning in one side, smoke taken up through a clay fireplace. Picture, like, Yoda's house. 7:47:46 PM Rook: There's a dragonborn here -- an old one. Real old -- his scales seem to have moss growing on them, making him look like part of his surroundings. 7:48:00 PM Ander: "...um...hello?" 7:48:14 PM Ander: "...Moss, I take it?" 7:48:37 PM *** Kite nods politely. *** 7:50:35 PM Ander: "...Countess Varia sent us. Well, me. But, they're with me. They're cool." 7:50:46 PM Ander: "Also, not so much sent. But she recommended you." 7:51:03 PM Rook: The dragonborn looks up. "Oh, yes. You have something stuck in your hand." 7:51:59 PM Ander: "...yeah...I wasn't aware you'd gotten all the details." 7:52:11 PM Ander: "It uh...kind of acted up tonight." 7:52:40 PM Rook: Moss: How so? 7:53:41 PM Ander: "The demon inside it started talking to me. Then it sent this fiery pain through my body." 7:53:54 PM Ander: "We were hoping you could take a look at it." 7:54:35 PM Rook: Moss gets up very, very slowly. He's very tall for a moment, then hunches over, comically so. 7:54:59 PM Daneel: And have a better option than cutting off the hand hopefully. 7:55:23 PM Ander: "Yeah, I like this hand." 7:55:29 PM Kite: I do not think that is an optimal option. 7:58:22 PM Rook: Moss adjusts glasses on the end of his long snout, then he takes out another pair, and sets them at a middle position on his snout, and adjusts those. "So you have thought about cutting it off." 7:58:30 PM Rook: Moss: Don't do that! 7:58:45 PM Ander: "...uh...ok...why?" 7:59:44 PM Rook: Moss: It wouldn't help. Imean, unless you hate having two hands, then it would fix that. 8:00:14 PM Ander: "No, having two hands is the best. That is my favorite number of hands." 8:00:19 PM Ander: "So...what is the solution?" 8:01:08 PM Rook: Moss: I don't know. It's grafted onto your soul. Have you thought about dying? 8:01:33 PM Ander: "......................again?" 8:02:17 PM Kite: ... I believe you have suffered sufficient deaths for the present. 8:02:19 PM Rook: Moss looks at Ander and adjusts his glasses again, putting on a third pair, these right against his eyes, practically. "You've died before. How much do you die? Once a week? Socially?" 8:02:40 PM Ander: "Just the one time so far." 8:02:52 PM Ander: "Killed in battle. It's...kind of a long story." 8:03:06 PM Rook: Moss: But that was before this. 8:03:11 PM Rook: He indicates the hand. 8:03:50 PM Ander: "Yeah, way before. This was uh...recent." 8:03:58 PM Ander: "Also kind of a long story." 8:04:23 PM Rook: Moss: Yes, yes, it always is with adventurers. 8:04:33 PM Kite: An evil demigod cursed her. 8:05:02 PM Rook: Moss: You're in a demonic contract. Kind of. 8:05:26 PM Ander: "They offered it to me, I haven't said yes, yet." 8:05:40 PM Rook: Moss: Exactly. 8:05:59 PM Ander: "So...how do I turn them down? And please don't say 'by dying'." 8:06:26 PM Kite: Without angering the entity. 8:06:33 PM Rook: Moss: Impossible. 8:06:49 PM Daneel: We have already angered the entity. 8:07:26 PM Kite: ... without further angering the entity. 8:07:36 PM Rook: Moss: I can close the connection right now. I do not know what would happen, but it can be done. Essentially... it's still holding out the contract, waiting for you to sign. 8:08:42 PM Ander: "But it wouldn't be able to burn me like it did before?" 8:09:38 PM Rook: Moss: No. It would be gone, until the entity shows up to offer the choice again. If its inclined to. 8:09:57 PM Ander: "How much would you charge for this?" 8:10:48 PM Ander: "It certainly sounds good." 8:11:25 PM Rook: Moss: I owe the Countess one, we'd be even. 8:11:46 PM Ander: "...then this sounds like a pretty good solution for now, at least." 8:13:53 PM Rook: Moss: all right. Are you sure? I can't promise it won't be painful. 8:14:11 PM Kite: What are the possible consequences? 8:15:25 PM Rook: Moss shrugs. "Depends on the entity." 8:16:01 PM *** Ander talks to her hand. "You are not good at this." *** 8:16:22 PM Ander: "Bring it, motherfucker!" 8:16:36 PM Rook: Moss: ... are you talking to me? Because that's rude, if yes. 8:17:10 PM Ander: "Nah. Demon's threatening me. So, what do we have to do here?" 8:18:46 PM Ander: "...just for the record, he's threatening you guys too. Does that change anything?" 8:19:31 PM Daneel: That’s rude he didn’t even offer us deals and he is threatening us. 8:19:40 PM | Edited 8:19:58 PM Vashti: Impotent threats are to be expected. 8:19:54 PM Kite: Irrelevant. 8:20:48 PM Ander: "Not sure they're impotent, but I think we can take him. But I didn't want to speak for you guys." 8:22:01 PM Rook: All right. 8:22:19 PM *** Ander holds her hand out to Moss. *** 8:23:54 PM Rook: He starts shimmering! The traces of metallic scales under the moss glimmer with divine energy, and that energy envelops Ander. 8:24:00 PM Rook: Ander, give me a Con save. 8:24:09 PM *** Kite observes. *** 8:24:19 PM Ander: ((6)) 8:26:12 PM Rook: Ander just crumples over, unconscious. Ander, you're at 0hp. 8:26:34 PM *** Kite dashes to her and Lays on Hands for a couple HP. *** 8:27:25 PM *** Ander shoots awake. "GAAAAAAHHHHHHH! ...hi guys." *** 8:28:02 PM Rook: Moss: There. 8:28:08 PM Rook: Moss: Anyone want tea? 8:28:33 PM Ander: "...yeah, sure, that sounds good. ...got any whiskey I can add to it?" 8:29:36 PM Rook: Moss: I do not. 8:29:39 PM Ander: ((So, how many hit points did you give me, Kite?)) 8:30:15 PM Ander: "...I should look into getting a flask." 8:31:00 PM Kite: ((3!)) 8:31:13 PM Kite: I would like tea, but I am not sure we have time to sit. 8:31:16 PM Ander: ((Thanks.)) 8:31:41 PM Rook: Moss: Do you have somewhere to be? 8:32:18 PM Daneel: So no more voice in your head Ander? 8:32:43 PM Ander: "...hello? ....hey, big guy, I'm up for a deal if you are." 8:33:21 PM Kite: Do not invite it back. 8:33:41 PM Ander: "...not hearing anything. I think we're good." 8:35:04 PM Ander: "...so...is standing kind of hard to anybody else right now?" 8:35:18 PM Kite: No. 8:35:27 PM Kite: Perhaps casting out demigods and demons is tiring. 8:35:44 PM Rook: Moss: always! 8:35:48 PM Ander: cough "Feels like it." 8:35:57 PM Rook: Moss putters around making tea. 8:36:53 PM Vashti: So. Li's back. 8:37:41 PM Kite: I hope you do not object to her... borrowing. 8:38:22 PM Ander: "Hi Li. ...so...that was a thing." 8:38:26 PM | Removed 8:38:41 PM Ander: This message has been removed. 8:38:47 PM Ander: "I'm going to just stay down here for a bit, if that's ok." 8:39:47 PM Rook: The floor is very comfy. there's a nice layer of moss that's very soft. 8:40:02 PM Vashti: She had a reason for it, so I don't mind overmuch. 8:40:42 PM Vashti: Apparently the demon is going to try and steal one of our faces, because he can only ever have three at a time. 8:40:56 PM Kite: Indeed. However, perhaps a reminder that it is not Good to borrow people's things without permission, including the body. 8:41:20 PM Vashti: And one, likely Carrick's, is going to "fall off" soon. 8:41:29 PM Vashti: I did mention that, yes. 8:41:32 PM Kite: Good. 8:41:46 PM Kite: I would not like to have to exorcise a kindly angelic personage. 8:42:09 PM Daneel: Does that mean he is going to stick one of us in a crystal tube? Or does he not always do that? 8:42:20 PM Kite: I would seem the most likely candidate. 8:42:27 PM Ander: "He wanted to do it with Vy before." 8:42:50 PM Ander: "...this means that, from here on out, anyone we meet could actually be him." 8:43:39 PM Daneel: Even potentially people we have already met. 8:43:50 PM Ander: "Even one of us." 8:45:02 PM Kite: If he had my face he would not need others. 8:46:12 PM Ander: "You'd be a real good get." 8:48:07 PM Ander: "...Moss...can I ask you something?" 8:48:32 PM Rook: Moss: Of course. 8:48:59 PM Ander: "What do you know of transformation magic?" 8:50:09 PM Rook: Moss: Not too terribly much, I'm afraid. 8:50:20 PM Ander: "Figures." 8:51:58 PM Rook: He hands everyone a cup of tea! 8:52:30 PM *** Ander sips it *** 8:52:33 PM *** Kite takes it and has a sip. *** 8:52:40 PM Kite: ... is that plum? 8:53:09 PM Rook: Moss nods. "And raspberry. And anise. and canis root." 8:53:23 PM *** Daneel takes it and drinks some. *** 8:54:36 PM Kite: It is very good. Thank you. 8:55:01 PM Ander: "Yeah, thanks." 8:55:05 PM Rook: He sits down on his chair. "So. What kind of music do young people like nowadays?" 8:55:31 PM Ander: "Just how long have you been in this tree?" 8:56:24 PM *** Kite names about 10 different songs that are popular right now. *** 8:57:34 PM | Edited 8:57:47 PM Rook: Moss: Oh, I moved here about... fifteen years ago now. 8:59:06 PM Rook: He blinks at Kite. "I don't know any of those." 8:59:36 PM Kite: Some are good. Some are not. 8:59:57 PM Ander: "To be fair, I didn't know many of those, either." 8:59:59 PM Rook: Moss: Isn't that always the way! 9:02:01 PM Ander: "...so...we should probably be getting back." 9:02:10 PM *** Ander finishes her cup and tries to stand up. *** 9:02:46 PM Rook: Moss: Do you want another cup? 9:03:13 PM Ander: "Hrrngh, no, I'm good. And I can feel my legs again, too." 9:03:46 PM *** Kite nods. *** 9:03:49 PM Kite: Thank you, however. 9:03:54 PM Kite: If you need assistance, call upon us. 9:04:37 PM Rook: Moss: Of course, of course. And come to me with all of your curse inquiries. It's a specialty of mine. 9:04:59 PM Kite: Thank you. 9:05:12 PM Ander: "I'll let Varia know you helped me. Thank you." 9:05:41 PM Rook: Moss: She should know, Ihope! She did send you here. And you have that big match tomorrow. 9:06:04 PM Ander: "...I do?" 9:06:14 PM Ander: "Awesome. I should really sleep, then." 9:07:08 PM Daneel: Kite, you are coming with us this time, my hat can’t take another ambush. 9:07:30 PM Rook: Moss: Oh yes, she said that the fifth would be a big Arena Exhibition. Those are always fun. 9:07:32 PM Kite: Yes, I will join you. 9:08:55 PM Ander: "Thanks for letting me know. I really need to get a schedule from her when I see her tomorrow." 9:10:34 PM Ander: "Well, given our line of work, we'll probably be seeing you again, Moss. Thanks for your help. Good night." 9:10:38 PM *** Ander heads out *** 9:10:45 PM *** Kite nods. *** 9:11:35 PM Rook: He waves! 9:12:19 PM Ander: ((Can we skip ahead to tomorrow, or is there more we wanna do for now?)) 9:12:58 PM Rook: Up to you. 9:13:02 PM Ander: ((Either way, I'm gonna spend my Hit Dice so I can get them back when Ander sleeps)) 9:13:10 PM Kite: ((Sounds good!)) 9:16:39 PM Ander: ((Ok then)) 9:18:56 PM Ander: ((We'll see how Canto feels when he gets back))